Italy were crowned the Euro 2020 champions as they defeated England 3-2 in a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. And while fans of the Three Lions were left heartbroken by the outcome, there was still plenty of praise to go around as the team managed, with their latest appearance, to end a 55-year drought in not making a tournament final.
“In terms of the players, they’ve given everything they could have – not only tonight but through the whole tournament,” England coach Gareth Southgate said after the shootout defeat. “They should hold their heads high.
“They’re a team who have pulled together, given the country some incredible evenings, but of course tonight the devastation of getting so close and not being able to give our country the trophy we wanted to is difficult to put into context.
“You can imagine how the dressing room is, so that of course is difficult to put into words at the moment, but in terms of the players they’ve given absolutely everything and I’m very proud of them”.
Despite the devastating defeat, fans and celebrities took to social media after the match to thank and congratulate the team for getting as far as they did and for achieving something that united the country.
From Prince William to London mayor Sadiq Khan, here's a look at the celebrities and politicians who posted messages of support after the match.
Prince William
Prince William tweeted that the outcome was “heartbreaking” while also congratulating the Italian side. “England, you’ve all come so far, but sadly this time it wasn’t our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves – I know there’s more to come.”
Adele
The Rolling in the Deep hitmaker hasn’t been shy about showing support for England. After the match, she uploaded a photo of herself in a jersey, writing: “You did us so proud!”
Sadiq Khan
London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted to thank the team for how they “united” the country “both on and off the pitch at every turn”. He said the country couldn’t be any prouder of what was achieved during the tournament, signing off with: "We still believe."
Nigella Lawson
British food writer and TV chef Nigella Lawson tweeted to congratulate Italy but also thank Southgate and the team. She also tweeted that she is looking forward to the Fifa World Cup.
Sarah Ferguson
The Duchess of York tweeted her support for coach Southgate. "So proud of our team," she said.
Oti Mabuse
South African dancer Oti Mabuse, who appears on the UK shows Strictly Come Dancing and The Masked Dancer, was more upfront about her feelings after the match, simply tweeting she was “heartbroken”.
Piers Morgan
Controversial broadcaster Piers Morgan also tweeted appreciation for the England team, writing: “I admire every player who steps up ... to take a penalty in a game that important. Especially when they’re just 19, 21 and 23.” He also tagged players Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford in his tweet before finishing with: “You missed, and we lost, but you’ve all got guts.”
Liam Gallagher
Former Oasis frontman also tweeted his support after the match, telling the team to go “smash the World Cup”.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Sukuk
An Islamic bond structured in a way to generate returns without violating Sharia strictures on prohibition of interest.
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Second Test
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
